ipl-logo

How Is Revenge Justified In The Odyssey

669 Words3 Pages

Is Revenge Ever Justified? An epic poem, The Odyssey, is an amazing adventure of a dad and his son who deal with major problems when Odysseus tries to return to his home Ithaca, and in defeating the evil suitors that have taken over his own home Homer highlights revenge as a key detail, Odysseus battling the suitors, then Posiedon and Zeus trying to stop Odysessus from getting back to Ithaca. Through Odysseus' assassination of the suitors, Poseidon vengeance upon Odysseus, and Zeus' destruction of Odysseus ship, The Odyssey shows that revenge can lead to a greater victory. After an attack on Poseidon's son, he goes after one of the few groups of people that helped him on his way, Poseidon will get his revenge on Odysseus. Odysseus and his men …show more content…

Polyphemus rolls a large boulder in front of the exit, trapping his men in a cave with a man-eating giant. After barrels full of wine and sweet talking from Odysseus, Polyphemus fell into a drunken sleep. Odysseus’ men blind Polyphemus and escape the island. Blinded, Polyphemus prays to his father, Poseidon. Poseidon tells Zeus and they plot to get back at those that helped Odysseus. “When that fine ship of those Phaeacians comes back from helping him across, I want to smash it in the sea,” (321, 150-153). Homer details Poseidon getting Zeus involved and through Poseidon's pure rage, he planned to set an example by destroying the Phaeacians that helped Odysseus get back to Ithaca. While Poseidon is plotting against Odysseus, Zeus plans to avenge Poseidon by going after his crew. This shows how good friends Zeus and Poseidon are and they both get their revenge. On Odysseus’ journey back to Ithaca, he meets allies like Aelus, who helps him sail to Ithaca but also learns of Zeus’ immense power. Zeus’ hatred for Odysseus becomes too much when Poseidon tells Zeus about Odysseus blinding his son, so he plans to carry out the most severe act of revenge seen throughout the entire …show more content…

(314, 414-416). The Odyssey details how Zeus was sick of Odysseus getting away without any consequences. Zeus has had enough and as the god of the sky, he uses lightning to destroy Odysseus’ ship along with his men, exacting his revenge for blinding Polyphemus. Zeus destroyed Odysseus’ ship and killed his crew. Odysseus was the only survivor and was swept into the sea. Odysseus eventually washed up on Calypso's island, imprisoning him for eight years until he could restart his trip back to Ithaca. Odysseus' deep love for Penelope and hatred for the suitors inspires him to use his creativity and skills with the bow and arrow to attempt to defeat the suitors. Odysseus and Telemachus make quick work of the suitors as they fight. “Amphinomus attacked Odysseus,” Telemachus leapt in and thrust his bronze spear through him from behind (Homer, 479, 89-92). Here Telemachus makes it clear how much he loves Odysseus, he decides to put his life in jeopardy to save his father’s life. Telemachus jumps in and fights as Odysseus uses a bow and arrow to attack the suitors. Odysseus defended his household and Telemachus showed his first gesture toward his father after seeing him again as a loving protection of his

Show More
Related
884 Words | 4 Pages

In addition, now Odysseus must face the wrath of the God Poseidon along his voyage. He now dedicates himself to ruining all chances of Odysseus getting back to Ithaca. After several years of perseverance, Odysseus finally reaches Ithaca only to

Read More
159 Words | 1 Pages

Odysseus teasing the Cyclops after they escaped the island demonstrates his tragic flaw of pride and arrogance. Its important because it reveals this side of Odysseus that shows his ability to use the pride and arrogance to get through battle, but it leads to recklessness that shapes conflict. Proving this is what Odysseus says to the Cyclops after his crew asks him to stop taunting him "Odysseus, raider of cities, took your eye: Laertes' son whose homes on Ithaca" (Homer 503). Then the Cyclops prays to Poseidon, the Cyclops's father, and has him curse Odysseus for the rest of his time. This is why it takes so long for Odysseus to get home.

Read More
1654 Words | 7 Pages

Particularly, in the scene in which Odysseus and Telemachos are reunited, he must protect his identity in order to restore power to his household. Here, both Telemachus and Odysseus must demonstrate great restraint towards Penelope’s suitors, as father commands his son, “even if they drag me by my feet through the palace or pelt me with missiles; you must still look on and endure it” (16, 276-7). Disguised as a beggar, Odysseus must be prepared to endure abuse from the suitors as he strategizes their demise. Antinoos, angered by Odysseus-the-beggars pleas for food, “threw the footstool and hit him in the right shoulder” (17, 462). Restraining his anger, Odysseus “stood up to it, steady as a rock” (463-4).

Read More
1107 Words | 5 Pages

On the Cyclopes' island, he was interested in meeting the owner of the cave who had such fine cheeses. However, his men only want to steal the cheese and leave hastily because there was an uneasiness about the cave. Nevertheless, he fixes upon staying and not soon after, the cyclops Polyphemus returns. He and his men are now in peril because of Odysseus' recklessness. The consequence of his decision is that shortly after Polyphemus devours most of his men but this bolsters him to conjure a plan to escape.

Read More
499 Words | 2 Pages

In ancient Greek ideology and mythology there is a common theme of characters ‘getting what they deserve’. In Homer’s graphic novel The Odyssey, there are several occasions where this theme of reciprocity is occurring. Revenge and justice are something that the romans held highly in their culture, so characters in their stories often had fates that was deemed fit for their ‘crime’. Odysseus crew was told before their journey to the island of Thrinacia, that they had to steer clear of this island.

Read More
794 Words | 4 Pages

In the Odyssey, Odysseus, the wife of Penelope and King of Ithaka, has been lost for many years after the Trojan War. Almost everyone believes he is dead, but Penelope and his now older son Telemachos, get news from the goddess Athena. She tells them both to go looking for news of Odysseus, and so Telemachus leaves Ithaka. He travels around as soon Telemachos finds out that his father is trapped Calypso 's island. Odysseus has upset Poseidon the god of the sea, and as his punishment he keeps getting blown off course.

Read More
753 Words | 4 Pages

Odysseus trapped on the island of Ogygia with the beautiful nymph Calypso, who imprisoned him as she possessed love for him, but was freed by the will of Zeus and Athena through Hermes. Setting sail on his handcrafted raft from Ogygia, Odysseus is stuck down by Poseidon, for blinding his son Polyphemus. Telemachus, with the help from Athena journey to Pylos and Sparta, there he learns Odysseus is still alive, and plans to return home, and back in Ithaca the suitors and Antioos plan to kill him as he returns. Athena saves Odysseus from Poseidon’s wrath, where he washes on the shore of Scheria, home of the Phaeacians. There he is welcomed by Nausicaa, the Phaeacian princess of the island Phaeacia, which is ruled by her father King Alcinoos.

Read More
381 Words | 2 Pages

He was tempted to steal food, and succumbed to staying longer than was necessary. This set off a sequence of events that led to Poseidon seeking vengeance on Odysseus. This simple action caused chaos for him and delayed his return to Ithaca by many years. It also caused havoc for others, such as the Phaeacians. Later, Odysseus's homecoming was further delayed by his crews actions, who were warned not to kill Helios’s flock.

Read More
1314 Words | 6 Pages

However, Zeus saw the two sides of the gods’ feelings towards Odysseus. “‘Great Odysseus/ who excels all men in wisdom... it’s the Earth-Shaker, Poseidon, unappeased,/ forever fuming against him..’” (1.78-83). Zeus created an equilibrium so that Poseidon could take out his anger on Odysseus through punishment, and Athena receives the duty of making sure Odysseus gets home to Ithaca.

Read More
734 Words | 3 Pages

Poseidon’s son Polyphemus, or the cyclops as he’s referred to in the text, is seeking vengeance for Odysseus’ despicable actions towards him. Perhaps, Odysseus’ fatal flaw hubris got him and his men into this situation in the first place. The Cyclops was drunk when Odysseus and his men sharpened a tool and stabbed him in the eye, to escape, Odysseus suggested they hide on the underside of Polyphemus’ sheep. Polyphemus sought the help of his father, “At this he stretched his hands out in his darkness toward the sky of stars, and prayed to Poseidon…”(Homer 12) Due to the fact that Poseidon is the God of the sea, he has a more than ample opportunity to retaliate.

Read More
593 Words | 3 Pages

The theme of revenge as depicted in Homer's The Odyssey comes into play when Odysseus exacts his punishment on the wooers that invaded and denigrated his home. The revenge, in my opinion, was not only acceptable, but also, a necessity given the gravity of the situation. Although Odysseus' justice was swift and severe, this epic could not allow moderation in punishment, as it wouldn't follow the grandiosity of the story's theme. The actions of Odysseus were justified because he endured years and years of turmoil and battle.

Read More
755 Words | 4 Pages

But, after angering Poseidon by blinding his one eyed cyclops son, Odysseus must go through brutal situations to get home thanks to the fuming god. The theme, the search for justice, is very prevalent in this text because of the fight between Odysseus and the suitors, the reunion of Odysseus and his wife Penelope and when Odysseus visits his father Laertes and Athena must restore peace because of the fight that breaks out there. To begin, the theme searching for justice is shown clearly when Odysseus returns home and kills the suitors. The text states, “Odysseus took aim and hit him with an arrow in the throat.

Read More
969 Words | 4 Pages

Revenge theme in the Iliad and the Odyssey The Iliad and the Odysseus are epic poems of Ancient Greek, which are defined as central works of Ancient Greek literature. The Iliad, sometimes referred to as “Song of Ilion” is about a war between two groups, which are the Achaeans and the Trojans. A reason for this war was that Paris, a prince of Troy had taken the most beautiful woman in world, which was a wife of Menelaus, the king of Sparta. Due to this steal, Menelaus decided to avenge and take Helen back.

Read More
680 Words | 3 Pages

Odysseus came home to find suitors who were trying to marry his wife when he was away at war for 20 years. They have ruined his home and made it into a place of their own, all they wanted was the fame and power that Odysseus had and did not care to respect Penelope and Telemachus. When Odysseus finally revealed himself in the epic, he was able to get his revenge against the suitors. It has been long awaited but was able to kill them all including the fact that justice was served after all those years of their disrespect. Odysseus was able to put his revenge on the suitors when he found the opportunity after finding a way to disguise himself that way to gain trust from his people in his home.

Read More
1190 Words | 5 Pages

Homer’s The Odyssey follows Odysseus and his journey home from the Trojan War. Although he anticipates a short journey, Odysseus is cursed by Poseidon to suffer ten additional years at sea. On the way home, Odysseus and his crew stop at the Cyclops’s island and encounter Polyphemus, Poseidon’s son, who kills crew members by tempting them with food, and then crushing them. Odysseus tricks the Cyclops by using the pseudonym of Nobody and stabs him in the eye; however he reveals his true name at the last second, thus giving Poseidon someone to blame.

Read More

More about How Is Revenge Justified In The Odyssey

Open Document